Unit system grade separation structure



Aug. 21, 1934.

.1. F. ROBE SEPARATION STRUCTURE UNIT SYSTEM, GRADE 3 SheetsSheet 1Filed April 9, 1950 John Aug. 21, 1934. J, ROBB 1,970,979

UNIT SYSTEM GRADE SEPARATION STRUCTURE Filed April 9, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21, 1934. J. F. ROBB 1,970,979

UNIT SYSTEM GRADE SEPARATION STRUCTURE Filed April 9, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 5 gwuenfo'a John E 305%.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE UNIT SYSTEM GRADESEPARATION STRUCTURE Claims.

tion in order that the railway tracks may be,

raised above the grade of vehicle travel, or the grade, of the vehicletravel elevated above the railroad tracks.

It is quite evident that grade separation is becoming more and morenecessary as a solution of go the problems of railroad accidents, andalso as a solution of the problems of collision of vehicles at busytrafiic intersections of roads. Realizing that it would be practicallyimpossible to build grade separation constructions all over the countrypursuing the present plan of construction involving expensive specialdesigns of grade separation improvements, I contemplate proceeding in asomewhat different manner from an engineering viewpoint, in carrying outthe improvements representing the present invention. In

this connection I have in mind the adoption of a standardized unitcrossover system that may be employed very readily in conjunction withrailroad crossovers and also adopted for the purpose of crossovers inone direction at busy intersections used primarily by automobile orvehicle traific.

It is evident to one versed in the particular art above referred to thatevery grade separation must either involve tunneling or overhead bridgeconstruction, and in the latter type of construction the primaryimprovement involves the erection of the approaches to the bridge orcrossing structure proper.

inafter set forth in detail, I have in mind to de- The clearancesnecessary for railroad crossovers are known. Therefore it is possible tomake the crossover structure, which is of bridge-like form, of units ofdifferent predetermined sizes, Like- Now in the carrying out of myinvention herewise the approaches to such crossover structure which areinclines, of course, may be similarly predetermined and made of units ofpredesigned size and structure. With thesystem of unit constructionwhich I employ for my purposes of grade separation, and by reason of theunit system utilized wherein all units are constructed at the factory,and the necessary number and arrangement susceptible of being estimatedin advance by simply knowing the dimensions of the trackage or road tobe crossed, a tremendous saving inthe building of road separations maybe effected. By doing-away with the need of special designing, specialengineering counsel, and employment of special contractors, a great dealof the present overhead and expense of gradev separation will be avoidedand the movement of the public to enforce such separation will be givenimpetus to the end of the saving of life and lim throughout the country.1 r

The accompanying-drawings illustrate a system: generally embodying myinvention, though of course in detail so far as formation of structuralunits and the like may be concerned, modification of such details isclearly within the purview of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a unit system grade separationstructure involving approaches and a bridge structure. This gradeseparation structure is illustrated as extending over railroad tracksbut it might just as easily be used as a crossover of. concrete orother'type of road.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the anchorage means for the firstinclined unit of the approach structure.

Figure 3 is a sectional View, and fragmentary showing, of a columnhaving a special interlocking head with which units of the inclinedapproach connect and by which ends of said units are supported andattached to the column.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the end portion of one of the sidemembers of an approach unit,.taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective View showing the sidemembers at one of the approach units and the manner of mounting. theroad base in this instance made up of boards interlocked with said sidemembers, the view being taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3'but illustrating a modified typeof construction, using en-'- tirely standard angles and channels.

Figure 7 is a sectional view ofthe road base construction ascontemplated by Figure 6, the view being taken on the line '7---'? ofFigure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the mounting of theapproach units side by side establishing separate trafiic channels orroadways and bringing out also the manner of supporting the sides of theunits upon the columns, the view being taken on the line 8-8 of Figure3.

Figure 9 is a perspective View of one of the approach units.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view similar to Figure 8 butindicating a difierent type of road base structure wherein the approachunits are interlocking plates and wherein the road base itself is madeup of concrete deposited upon said plates.

Figure 11 is a section view longitudinal of the approach unit structureof Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a perpsective View of one of the approach units used forthe construction of Figures 10 and 11.

Figure 13 illustrates another type of construction of approach or baseunit indicating how concrete may be emplaced by suspending on the sidesof the unit loops carrying temporary mold'plates.

Figure 14'is'aview of one of the sidesof a unit such as shown in Figure13.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary view of the connection of the units of thecross-over structure.

This application is directed primarily to the construction of my systemof interlocking units to form the approaches to a crossover structuresuch as a bridge, and also involves the construction of units for thecrossover itself. The gradeseparation structureof my invention comprisesprimarily the crossover structure or bridge A as shown in Figure 1, theapproaches 13, illustrated also in the same figure, and columnstructures G. The crossover structure A is contemplated to compriseinterlocking sections united in a special manner but not forming thesubject matter of the present invention.' The approach structures orinclines B are made up of units of definite size both as to length andwidth, these units assembled in interlocked relation: in the field, andmade of their predetermined shapes in the factory.

The columns C are made up of units of an interlocking'nature also andthe amount of inclination of the approaches will preferably bedetermined by the use ofa desired number of sections for the variouscolumns 0. The approaches B of course not only involve inclines butinvolve road base structures over which vehicular and other trafiic maypass;

I first describe Figure 2 where the anchorage for the first inclinedapproach unit B is shown. This anchorage preferably includes a suitablefooting of concrete designated 1 at the top of which isanchored asupporting plate 2 carrying the riveted or otherwise fastened "angleplate 3, the upper edge of which is flush with the surface of the roadleading to the approach 3'. The approach unit B is fastened to theanchorage angle plate 3 by any suitable fastening means such as;

rivetsor bolts 4 and said approach unit includes, as best shownin'Figure 9, side members 5 having opposite longitudinal channels 6 andprovided at their ends with downwardly extending lugs 7- The sidemembers 5 are connected together bytruss or brace rods 8 conforming withgood engineering practice so that a rigid structure is provided for theapproach unit B'considered as a whole. capable "of beingfastened to theangle plates 3 in getting the anchorage for the first approachunit. Theapproach .unitsimaking up the ap The lugs '7 are shown in Figure 2 asisa single section column. The second column is a single and doublesection column and the thirdcolumn from the left is one made up of onedouble section and two single sections. The secsons 9 and 10 of thecolumns 0 are designed to fit one within the other, for which purposethere are riveted or fastened on the lower end of each section,receiving plates 11, that form a sort of boss at the lower end of eachsection receiving the upper end of the next lower section. Each columnsection which forms the upper section of a column is equipped with ahead section 12 riveted or otherwise fastened thereto and having theinterlocking channel 13 to receive the lugs or interlocking members '7with which the opposite ends of each approach unit are formed, seeFigure 9. For fastening the approach units to the columns I may employdifferent means and that illustrated in Figure 3 involves the use of capplates 14 attached to the channel head members 12 by bolts 15 in themanner quite clearly illustrated. The cap plates 14 fit over theadjacent ends of the units 13 just above their lugs or downwardlyprojecting interlocking arms 7.

Now the purpose in providing the side members 5 of the approach unitswith the channels 6 at opposite sides is to enable heavy road baseboards to be emplaced in these channels to establish the road base overwhich trafiic will pass. Or, if desired, a road base may-b'e cast ofconcrete,'the ends ofthe concrete slab thus cast being received andinterlocked in the channels6 so as thus to create a slab beam, so tospeak, extending between the side members 5 of each unit 3. The reasonthat opposite sides of the members 5 are formed with the channels isbe-- cause these units B will be set up side by side in spaced relationand when properly spaced a series of traffic bases or roads may beestablished 'sim'= ply by placing in position the road base boards 16 orconcrete slabs case in place in the manner previously suggested. InFigure 6 I provide a structure which is similar to Figure 3 in generalrespects excepting that the interlock between the endsofthe units B isprovided by using standard angles or shapes 7' fitting into the channelheads 13 of the columns 9. The connection between the columns and theapproach units is obtained in a somewhat different manner by usingangles 17 of special form which are riveted to th'e under-' sides of theends of the approach units and also riveted to the ends of the channelhead 13. In Figure 7 I illustrate how, if the approach units are made upof side anglescomprising upper angles 18 andlower angles 19, the saidunits may be so designed as to receive concrete slabs 20 precast and setproperly placed in position upon the angles 19. Thereafter the upperangles 18 may be attached to the lower angles 19 by the side plates 20-and the concrete slab 20 thus held in-place in an evident manner. Ofcourse wood trafficbase structure may be substituted-for the concreteslabs 20 if desired and moreover, if desired, the concrete slabs 20might be cast in place instead of pre-cast. 7 r 1 In line with the lastmentioned thought, Figll? 1.1 illustrates a construction somewhat likeFigure 3 but wherein the road base structure is of concrete.

Figure 10 illustrates a modified formof the invention wherein I employflat shapes in the form of plates 21, see Figure 12 for the shape ofeach individual plate, and these plates 21 are equipped at one side edgewith an interlocking flange 22 to overlap and receive an upwardlyextending interlocking flange 23 at the adjacent edge of a plate 21 setup next thereto. In other words, each plate 21 has at its opposite sideedges a U-shaped flange 22 and a straight flange 23 and the method ofinterlocking'is quite evident, it being borne in mind moreover that eachplate 21 has at its end downwardly extending interlocking flanges orlugs 24 for the same purpose as lugs '7 described with reference toFigure 3. In Figure 13 I show how approach or base units of a structureof the type I have in mind may be set up with the side members 25connected together by the cross bars 26. Then loops 27 may be hooked onto the side members 25 and plates 28 supported by said loops preliminaryto pouring concrete in place to form permanent road bed sections.

It is to be understood that the colunms C will be reinforced bothlaterally and longitudinally of the approach structure and the crossoverstructure by means of diagonal truss rods 29 and 30 of predeterminedlengths that may be fastened to the columns in any suitable manneraccording to past engineering practice. The columns will then be bracedagainst both longitudinal and lateral stresses. n It is also clear fromthe foregoing that the approach units of the general approach structureB are interlocked both longitudinally and laterally with similar unitsthat may be used alongside them depending upon the width of the gradeseparation structure that is being built. Likewise it is to beunderstood that where crossover structures A are used to extend overvehicular roads of different widths, if desired, additional columns maybe employed beneath the crossover structure to help support it, assumingthat municipal or state regulations in this connection are observed.Such columns are not usually permitted on railroads and hence they areomitted in the illustration of Figure 1.

It is moreover to be understood that while I have called the units Bapproach units, under certain conditions such units may be horizontallydisposed instead of inclined, and moreover if desired, suitable railingsmay be applied to these units and will be supplied from the factorymakhe as illustrated by Figure 4 where the bar is denoted 8 and itsinterlocking lugs as 8".

There is also partially shown in Figure 15 the mode of assembling thepreconstructed and fabricated cross-over units or sections. These may bejust abutted and riveted while so held, or they may be carried at theirbases on longitudinal interengaging rods or shaft members disposed attheir ends on the columns at the upper ends of the approaches B.Provision will always be made for the supporting of the cross-over A atits ends on suitable saddles, or other members movable to permitexpansion and contraction of the elements of the cross-over relativelytothe end supports thereof. Such provisions are already well known anduniversally used in bridge engineering.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As a new article of manufacture for purposes of a unit system forgrade separation structures, a pre-constructed base unit suitable forthe approach of a grade separation structure, said base unit includingmeans whereby it may be interlockingly connected with an associated baseunit and also including a structural formation whereby floor means maybeunited thereto by interlocking action therewith, combined with a newarticle of manufacture of a supporting column having means to interlockwith said base unit and other base units that may be assembled inconjunction therewith. 1

2. In a grade separation structure of the class described, adapted to beassembled at the site of use, a, plurality of base units, each unit of alike structure and complete in itself, said units being arranged side byside and end for end, together with means to interlockingly connect theunits together at their sides and ends when assembled into ageneralgrade separation structure. r

3. In a grade separation structure of the class described, adapted to beassembled at the site of use, a plurality of base units, each unit of alike structure and complete in itself, said units being arranged side byside and end for end, together with means to interlockingly connect theunits together at their sides and ends when assembled into a generalgrade separation structure, the last named means including columns. andcolumn heads having parts to interlock with cooperating interlockingportions of the said units.

4. A grade separation structure of the class described, comprising anapproach structure and a cross-over structure, the approach structureincluding a series of approach units in alignment, having meansinterlocking each unit with the other, the units being complete inthemselves, and each of said units being equipped with means at its sideto interlock it with other units that may be placed next adjacentthereto.

5. In a grade separation structure of the class described adapted tobridge a roadway over railroad tracks or the like, an approach structurecomprising a plurality of separate pre-constructed approach units, eachunit being equipped with downwardly extending lugs at each end forinterlocking the unit in position, a footing for the units positioned ateach side of the approach unit and adjacent the roadway to be bridged,and instrumentalities for interlocking the approach unit to the footing,the said instrumentalities comprising a supporting plate secured to thefooting, an anchorage angle plate secured to the supporting plate andhaving its upper edge flush with the roadway surface, and means forsecuring the lug of the approach unit to the angle plate for locking theunit in required position.

6. In a grade separation structure of the class described, an approachstructure comprising a.

series of separate pre-constructed units, each unit being equipped withinterlocking means at its ends and sides for interlocking it with thenext adjacent units at its sides and ends at the location of erection,and pre-formed supporting units for the structure under each of the saidunits being cooperable for allowing the erection of the structure at anylocation without alteration of any of the individual units and inconformity with existing traffic regulations at that location.

'7. In a grade separation structure of the class described adapted tobridge a roadway over railroad tracks and the like, an approachstructure comprising a footing, a, supporting plate anchored thereto, ananchorage plate secured to the supporting plate, a preconstructedapproach unit secured in an inclined position upon the supporting plate.and held by the anchorage plate, and preconstructed supporting membersof sectional construction for maintaining the approach unit in requiredposition.

8. In a grade separation structure of the class described adapted tobridge a roadway over railroad tracks or the like, an approach structurecomprising a plurality of separate preconstructed approach units, eachof which comprises spaced apart side members adapted to receive a roadbase, a locking lug at each end of each side member, and lockinginstrumentalities on each side thereof whereby each unit may beinterlocked with similar units in both end to end and lateralrelationships, instrumentalities holding the units against displacement,and unit column structures supporting the units to interlock therewithand unite them together.

9. In a grade separation structure of the class described adapted tobridge a roadway over railroad tracks or the like, an approach structurecomprising a plurality of separate pre-constructed approach units, eachunit being equipped with interlocking means at its ends, a footing forthe units positioned adjacent the roadway to be bridged,instrumentalities for interlocking one of the approach units to thefooting in required inclined position, and pre-constructed supportingcolumns of sectional construction for supporting the units in position,the sections of the supporting columns interfittingonewith another togive required height, a head section on the top column section securedthereto and having an interlocking channel adapted to receivecorresponding lugs of adjacent approach units, and a footing for eachcolumn. 10. In a grade separation structure of the class describedadapted to bridge a roadway over railroad tracks or the like, anapproach structure comprising a plurality of separate pre-constructedapproach units, each unit being equippedwith interlocking means at itsends, a footing for the units positioned adjacent the roadway to bebridged, instrumentalities for interlocking one of. the approach unitsto the footing in required inclined position, and preconstructedsupporting columns of sectional formation for supporting the units inposition, the sections of the supporting columns having receiving plateson the lower end of each for 'interfitting the sections one within theother to give required height thereto, instrumentalities interlockingthe columns with the approach units, and a supporting footing for eachcolumn.

JOHN F. ROBB.

